This month's “What Do I Eat Today” menu is a bit different.
It's summer and in many parts of the country it is HOT. So this month's “What do I Eat Today” menu is focused on cooling, fresh, seasonal foods. And this month, the entire menu is vegan.
Now that it’s summer you’re probably craving lots of raw foods. Try my chilled raw cucumber avocado gazpacho poolside. And my Berry Parfait as a light 'begin' the day' breakfast. Grilling artichokes outside keeps the heat away and they are so good! Make my green soup ahead of time when it is cool, and enjoy with lemon basil pesto made with fresh summer herbs.
I have lemon water in the morning and then I wait until I'm hungry to have my Green Drink.
For Breakfast – Berry Parfait
My raw berry parfait is made with nuts. Here's a tip: many raw food recipes call for soaking nuts. Why? Soaking nuts (from 2 hours to overnight) improves the flavor and nutritional value of the nuts by releasing dust, residue and tannin into the water, leaving the nuts with a softer, buttery texture and increasing their digestibility. Never use the soak water – always discard it.
For Lunch – Chef V's Raw Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho
Cool and creamy, soups are a great way to start a meal, but are also awesome as a main course. You can easily double or triple my recipe and have delicious leftovers. The beauty of my veggie-rich recipe is that its high water and fiber content slows how fast you eat and fills you up quicker.
Dinner – Grilled Artichoke with Two Sauces
Grilled artichokes, precooked and finished at the picnic. They’ll love these on the barbecue. Serve with my two vegan sauces: Raw Horseradish Mayonnaise, and Vegan Herb Aioli.
Also for Dinner – Green Soup with Lemon Basil Pesto